US Medical Term · symptoms
Back Pain
Dolor de espalda
What it means
Back pain is one of the most common medical problems. It can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain, and sometimes the pain radiates away from the back to other areas of the body, such as the buttocks, legs, or abdomen. Acute back pain comes on suddenly and usually lasts from a few days to a few weeks; back pain is called chronic if it lasts for more than three months. It can come on suddenly from an accident, a fall, or lifting something heavy, or it can develop slowly because of age-related degenerative changes in the spine. Most back pain goes away on its own, though it may take a while.
Back Pain in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Dolor de espalda
- Gender and article
- masculine: el dolor de espalda
- Pronunciation
- doh-LOR deh ehs-PAHL-dah
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| lumbago | General | MedlinePlus lists "Lumbago" under "Also called" on its English back pain page, and MedlinePlus en español uses lumbago in the titles of related articles ("Lumbago agudo", "Lumbago crónico"). |
Dolor de espalda is the term used by both MedlinePlus en español and NIAMS, and it is masculine: el dolor de espalda. MedlinePlus lists "Lumbago" as another name on its English page, and MedlinePlus en español uses lumbago in the titles of related articles such as Lumbago agudo and Lumbago crónico. Another title on that page says dolor lumbar.
MedlinePlus en español calls a dull, constant ache un dolor sordo, constante and a sudden, sharp pain un dolor súbito e intenso; NIAMS says un dolor leve y constante and un dolor punzante y repentino. Agudo describes back pain that appears suddenly and usually lasts some days or weeks, and crónico describes back pain that lasts more than three months. NIAMS uses rigidez for stiffness on waking in the morning, entumecimiento y hormigueo for numbness and tingling, and columna vertebral for the spine.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | I have had pain in my lower back for two weeks. | Tengo dolor en la parte baja de la espalda desde hace dos semanas. |
| Clinician | Did the pain start suddenly, or after a fall or lifting something heavy? | ¿El dolor empezó de repente, o después de una caída o de levantar algo pesado? |
| Patient | It is a dull, constant ache, but sometimes I feel a sharp pain. | Es un dolor sordo y constante, pero a veces siento un dolor punzante. |
| Clinician | Does the pain go down to your buttocks or your legs? | ¿El dolor le baja a los glúteos o a las piernas? |
| Patient | It gets worse when I bend over or lift something. | Empeora cuando me agacho o levanto algo. |
| Clinician | Do you have numbness, tingling, or weakness in your legs? | ¿Tiene entumecimiento, hormigueo o debilidad en las piernas? |
| Clinician | Have you had trouble urinating, a fever, or unintended weight loss? | ¿Ha tenido problemas al orinar, fiebre o pérdida de peso no intencional? |
| Patient | My back feels stiff when I wake up, and it improves once I start moving. | Siento rigidez en la espalda al despertarme, y mejora cuando empiezo a moverme. |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Back Pain |
| Spanish (Español) | Dolor de espalda |
| Chinese (中文) | 背痛 |
| Korean (한국어) | 요통 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Đau lưng |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Sakit sa likod |
| Portuguese (Português) | Dor nas costas |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | อาการปวดหลัง |
| Japanese (日本語) | 腰背部痛 |
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
ICD-10-CM code: M54 → DorsalgiaRelated terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Brain and nerves
All terms in this area: Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios
Sources
- Back Pain — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Dolor de espalda — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Back Pain — National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), NIH
- Dolor de espalda — National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), NIH
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 7, 2026